Measuring a process can be tricky, because you may not know which input at which step will affect which output at which step, if the process is quite complex. E.g. even an apparently simple process like brewing coffee is actually very complex – the variety of beans, the condition of grinding, the time for which it was boiled, quantity of sugar, milk etc. added, the cleanliness of the vessels used and so on can affect the final output – the temperature, sweetness, color, aroma, ‘zing’ and overall customer satisfaction.

A useful tool is a Cause and Effect Matrix, a template for which is provided in the Tools Framework. It lets you score each input against each output, thus helping you identify exact targets for improvement. e.g. Improving cleanliness of the brewing vessel can reduce the soapy taste of the coffee. Fishbone Diagrams (provided in the Tools Framework) are a visual method of doing the same.

Another tool is the Five Whys. Very simply, it is about repeatedly asking why till the root cause of a problem is reached, five being a thumb rule.

Any number of tools exist for analysis – after all, the entire science of statistics is dedicated to that. A few statistical procedures are included in the Tools Framework, like the Chi-Square test (for comparing outcomes against expectations) and the Two Sample T-test (for comparing two outcomes of the same process).

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a method that helps maps failure at each step and quantify the effect of that failure on the final customer satisfaction. e.g. The fact that you may have added only 2.85 teaspoons of sugar (when the customer asked for 3) may not be noticed (low risk), while the failure to wash the cup would be (high risk). The Pugh Matrix can be used for evaluating alternatives, e.g. Which word processor might be the best fit for your operating system

On the side of enacting improvements to the process, a useful tool is Pareto analysis – what process intervention among alternatives will lead to how much of the benefit. Going back to the coffee brewing example, experimenting (and quantifying each trial) with different detergent brands might help you choose the one that reaches the target of 80% reduction in soapiness of the coffee!

Another one is to build dashboards and scorecards. By defining variables, assigning a score-line to each (say 0 to 10) and regular measurements, you can can keep track of how well or badly the intervention in the process is performing. Templates for designing dashboards are included in the Tools Framework.

These are just a few tools you can use, there are many, many more. As mentioned in the preceding blog, the choice of tactics is the critical step that determines what difference your implementation of Six Sigma makes to the process, and the financial consequences. And the philosophy of Six Sigma insists that these choices be made on the basis of methodically acquired data and objective analysis.

All the best for Six Sigma in your organization!